PNP official in chopper crash recovering at home, fellow official still comatose

A firefighter extinguishes flames from a helicopter that crashed while carrying Philippine National Police chief Gen. Archie Gamboa and seven others in San Pedro City, Laguna. Photo courtesy of Roselle Aquino

MANILA, Philippines — A police general who was critically injured in a helicopter crash in Laguna, has returned home after over three months of treatment at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa, an official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Friday.

Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, PNP deputy chief for administration, said they met Maj. Gen. Mariel Magaway, Director for Intelligence of the PNP, at his home on Thursday.

“Kahapon nang umaga more or less dumating siya (Magaway) ng bahay sinalubong namin. Nasusunod naman yung social distancing,” Cascolan said in a phone interview with reporters.

(Yesterday morning we met Magaway at his home. We observed social distancing.)

Cascolan also said Magaway might return to work after a month, subject to evaluation.

“I am positive that he will be good in a matter of one month, he will have to be evaluated at the same time that is the decision of the chief PNP (Gen. Archie Gamboa) to make,” he said when asked if Magaway will return to police service after being discharged from the hospital.

PNP Comptroller Gen. Jose Maria Ramos, however, who was also injured in the accident, is still in “deep coma,” Cascolan said.

“It is identified by the doctors there in Asian Hospital, hindi pa rin siya (Ramos)  nagigising. Deep coma pa rin siya,” he said.

(Doctors said he is not yet awake. He is still in deep coma.)

On March 5, 2020. Gamboa, Ramos, Magaway and several other police officials were injured when they helicopter they boarded in San Pedro, Laguna crashed shortly after lift-off.

Gamboa sustained a minor injury and was discharged from the hospital a day after the helicopter crash.

 GSG